Fellow South Africans,
We have come together to launch a very important campaign which encourages all of us to take action and to play our part in the protection of our children.
Today we launch Child Protection Week 2013 and to unite all South Africans behind this noble campaign.
We launch this campaign cognisant of the fact that protecting our children is a shared national responsibility.
Our elders have taught us that it takes a village to raise a child.
That is why we say umntwana wakho, ngumntwana wam’, your child is my child and my child is your child.
As we launch this campaign, we recall that many children in our country are growing up without the care of a protective and permanent family. And we encourage fellow South Africans to come together to support this campaign by wearing a Green Ribbon and to report cases of child abuse, neglect and exploitation to social works and police officers.
We therefore pledge to work with all South Africans to provide care and support to orphans and vulnerable and to build national awareness.
Equally, we pledge to join hands with all sectors of our society to combat the scourge of violence against women and children which undermines our efforts to build a better life for our people. We appeal and urge all South Africans to join us in spreading the message that it is time to end violence against our children.
Today we pledge to work to identify more child victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation, and to help and protect them. We will undertake efforts to enhance investigations and prosecute offenders. We commit ourselves to make children aware of online risks, so that they can enjoy their online lives without fear. And we pledge to reduce the availability of online child sexual abuse material.
We reaffirm our government’s commitment to continue its efforts to address violence against women and children through partnerships and effective of relevant implementation of policies and programmes. We pledge to take proactive action to end the abuse, neglect and exploitation of children in our country. As we launch the Child Protection Week here today, we pledge to discharge our responsibilities to care and support South Africans children without fear or favour.
We pledge our political will and our common and national commitment to protect our children and to reducing the high levels of violence against women and children.
Thank you.
